ALL GOOD THINGS MUST COME TO AN END. Up to this point in the Gatlinburg Story, we have been truly blessed–because the majority of the coverage has been provided by three highly professional, dedicated, compassionate teams of journalists courtesy of WATE,WVLT,and WBIR, along with 2 newspapers, The Knoxville News Sentinel, and The Tennessean–and an occasional piece from FOX WZTV. From the first chaotic night, despite the firestorm, tornadoes and scattered flooding, these true journalists have held to the highest standards of journalistic ethics–they have been compassionate, thorough, professional and unbiased, while still diligently seeking information for the public.

Watching from Arizona I have come to look forward to seeing their familiar faces, watching how naturally they interact with the people in Gatlinburg and the surrounding areas, and how they manage to balance their obvious empathy and involvement with the reporting of the news. They are truly amazing people to watch, and eastern Tennessee is fortunate to have such a concentration of talent.

Then Along Comes Ms. King–One Of NYC’s “Finest” (NOT)…..

Now isn’t she just special, bless her heart? She exemplifies what certain failed presidential candidates meant when they so snidely referred to “New York Values”. And then she decided to start pushing for the name of the person or persons who “dropped the ball” and whose incompetence, by inference, led to the 13 tragic deaths. She was establishing a false narrative–fallaciously comparing this unprecedented firestorm in Tennessee to an entirely different type of fire in North Carolina, acting as though she actually knew something about forest management, or meteorology, or the science and physics behind firestorms. Additionally, she referred to an inaccurate piece of weather information as though it were established fact.

Needless to say, she likely knows little or NOTHING about these subjects, given the narrative she was trying to create. But the complete breakdown of the firestorm and analysis of available information is for another series of articles. THIS article is about the harpy who actually thought it would be a good idea to state, in so many words, that it was the ineptitude of the National parks people, or the Mayors, or first responders or boogymen that caused thirteen people to die.

But..But…1st Amendment! Democracy! The PEEEPUL’s Right To Know!

HOGWASH.

She was insinuating DIRECTLY–BY STATING A BALL HAD BEEN DROPPED AND DEMANDING A NAME–that there was incompetence at the root of the deaths, WITH ABSOLUTELY NO PROOF THIS IS THE CASE. With several layers of government involved and the fire encompassing private property, federal land, and who knows what other land ownership is in the midst–county? city? State? Saying ANYTHING OTHER THAN–“THE MATTER IS BEING INVESTIGATED AND WE WILL NOT COMMENT AT THIS TIME, AS WE DON’T WANT TO POSSIBLY TAINT THE INVESTIGATION ” would be idiotic. AND I HAVE SEEN NO SIGN EITHER OF THE MAYORS IS AN IDIOT.

The Mayors and other officials have spoken before about the various steps that will be taken, and ARE being taken, to determine what, IF ANYTHING, could have resulted in a better outcome. THESE PRESS CONFERENCES ARE MEANT TO KEEP PEOPLE INFORMED ON THE THINGS THAT MATTER TO THEM NOW. With the governments investigating possible arson along with the failures in emergency warning procedures, this would not be the time to be discussing the issue anyway.

Now, let’s just think what would happen if the mayor had given her the name of the person in charge that night–and the investigations reveal that person was NOT responsible for anything. Well, the city, county and state would, at the very least, probably be facing a MASSIVE lawsuit for placing the person in a position where they were presumed “guilty”. Because in most government jobs, if you are NAMED in anything that might turn out to be a problem, then you’re placed on administrative leave. And then the rumor mills starts up, and the gossip flies–and even if your name is cleared–you can’t get back your reputation.

Frankly–THE LAST THING WE NEED IN THIS EVENT IS THE LYING MEDIA. AT THE VERY LEAST SHE WAS DISRUPTING THE DELIVERY OF IMPORTANT INFORMATION ON OTHER MATTERS, OR PERHAPS TRYING TO CREATE A SENSATION TO BENEFIT HER CAREER–Which judging from comments in the comment section of WLOS’s Facebook Page is hardly one worth bragging about. And one could make a case that her blatant implication of CRIMINAL NEGLIGENCE defames the characters of everyone associated with this disaster.

Demanding to know the name of the person who “dropped the ball”, when THERE IS NO EVIDENCE THE BALL WAS DROPPED, is NOT “journalism”, unless of course we’re looking at the YELLOW Kind. That is simple slander and scandal mongering, of a level one would have expected from tabloid trash papers back in the good old days. I wouldn’t be surprised if she sleeps with a copy of Megyn Kelly’s abysmal new book under her pillow….

It Is Time To Draw A Red Line In The Sand, Here…NO MORE FAKE NEWS.

We’ve spent the last 18 months or so being bombarded with the lowest forms of yellow journalism, and suffering with a main stream media that has on more than one occasion suppressed news, distorted news, delivered news that hasn’t even been remotely checked for facts–and in more than one case–ABSOLUTELY FALSIFIED NEWS. And I for one am NOT going to tolerate it any longer.

And for the record–it has now been CLOSE TO 6 HOURS SINCE THE HARPY DID THIS–AND WLOS HAS YET TO ISSUE A STATEMENT. AND SHE, OF COURSE, HASN’T EITHER.

How much do you want to bet the big boys over there are closeted in some boardroom with their lawyers, trying to figure out the least expensive way to dig themselves out of the manure, without having to admit it was a setup? Because these “journalists” seldom are asking questions they thought of themselves.

POST SCRIPT : THE MSM REDUCTIO AD ABSURDUM:

AND THERE YOU HAVE IT FOLKS–FIVE HOURS FOR THIS INSULTING NON-APOLOGY. THESE GUYS ARE AMAZING, THEY SHOULD BE NATIONAL AND COMPETING WITH CNN ANY DAY NOW!

Charles Is the kind of pet anyone could love–a sweet face, intelligent, friendly. But Charles isn’t a typical pet–he’s a pig. And he is one of the small miracles of the Gatlinburg Story. In the chaos of the fire and evacuation, Charles’ owner had to leave everything behind, including him. And now, it’s all gone.

The home that held so many memories is ashes, the woods surrounding it are a wasteland. But Charles had burrowed into the mud, and survived. Now there are SOME PEOPLE who are probably now indignant, wondering how someone could love a beloved pet behind to begin with. Well–when you can’t get the car out of the garage because of fallen trees, there’s a solid wall of fire roaring toward you and your choking 18 month old baby, and the pet weighs more than a grown man–you must sadly make a choice. And the tale of that choice is in the link below.

Rob Holmes and his family have lost so very much–but even in the losses, there are some blessings:

“We’re living in a hotel. We’re basically left with the clothes that we have. We have nothing, we’ve lost all of our possessions, but none of that matters,” Holmes said. “We’ve got something more and more important. we’ve got our family, we’ve got love.

“The Lord took care of us, and then he blessed us and he gave us back Charles, and so now, we’re complete.”

Charles Is Only One Of The Animals That Survived

The Sevier County Humane Society is currently taking care of many animals at the County Fairgrounds, everything from dogs and cats to horses, and more animals are still being found. Selfless veterinarians are providing a wide range of services free of charge when possible, and the outpouring of donations to the organization–money and more importantly food and volunteer assistance– is going a long way in healing the physical damage and providing the owners who are currently displaced with a sense of security, knowing their pets are being tended by loving hands.

Even when all seems lost–some things may be found. Even when it seems there is nothing left, there IS something left. For some, that is a pet. For others, it’s faith, or community, or family. Whatever it may be for each person, the very act of sharing an experience with others creates a certain bond, however horrific the experience may be.

And as you read through the timeline, wherever you may be, you come to look for certain familiar faces and names. You become a little familiar with the roads, and the local much loved attractions. You find yourself watching the clock for the next press conference, and rooting for the mayors as they face down the members of the media that are NOT part of the community.

And when a local journalist says God Bless You–on camera–hearing it feels good. Because the local journalists, the tireless professionals of WATE, WVLT, and WBIR, aren’t the plastic talking heads of the national networks. They’re real. They’re honest. And unlike the talking heads, they are committed to this place, and these people. They have found the delicate balance between objective, professional journalism and community partnership in a way that sets their coverage apart from the outsiders. We know they are being objective, and thorough. But they are also compassionate, genuinely involved, and a real part of their story.

Gatlinburg and the local area have lost so much. But time is already showing that people in Gatlinburg are finding much also. And there are more and more people around the United States, and in other countries, becoming a small part of this story–watching these news channels, leaving prayers, asking for updates, reaching out through cyberspace and connecting, uniting to share this story at the speed of light. Something unique is happening, that never could have happened before the internet and social media, and the result will be equally unique.

This Is Heaven–And She Is A Therapy Horse.

For a five year old child, the world can be a very strange and frightening place. But for the little girl who owns this horse, it’s even tougher than average–she has Autism. Heaven is her link to a world that she doesn’t see very easily. Autism can manifest in a variety of ways, but thay all have one thing in common–even our “ordinary” world is passing strange, and often extremely frightening, for those who are autistic.

Heaven and her family live in Gatlinburg–a town that has been visited in the last several days with massive fire destruction, torrential rains, and tornadoes. While the world goes on for the rest of us, this girl and her family have lost all they have. And Heaven is facing a lot of veterinary care to be returned to good health.

While Heaven is safe and receiving veterinary care, her owners are having to cope with devastating losses, and one little girl is facing them without the therapy animal that is her anchor. She is facing a world without ANYTHING she recognizes, save her family. No Heaven, no beloved Disney movies. All of the children in Gatlinburg are facing the same conditions, but there aren’t many in her position.

Here Is The Update On Heaven:

FROM THE YOUCARING PAGE:

UPDATE: I have just spoken to Brian in regards to Heaven. I can tell you that she is being cared for at Douglas Lake Riding stables and is under veterinary care. We will only be giving out limited information as several people who were NOT Heavens owners have tried to claim her. If you need verification as to her needs they can be reached at 865 556 3869. Heaven is under the care of Dr Ryan Snow DVM of the Sevier County Animal Clinic 865 453 1221..
This family has lost everything, their home was a total loss the thought that some would try to take their autistic childs certified therapy horse is just beyond my comprehension!
Friends this horse was evacuated by Brian Minton she is a certified therapy horse for a 5 year old autistic child.
They have requested help with her veterinary bills currently at $500.00 but expected to go higher. She was initially seen by a veterinarian at UT but is now under the care of another veterinarian. We are awaiting and update from her care givers as to which vet is currently caring for her. Please consider making a tax deductible donation towards her care.
If more is donated for her care than what is needed excess funds will be donated to help other pet owners with veterinary bills resulting from the fires.

How Can YOU Help?

HELP PAY FOR HEAVEN’S CARE Heaven is going to need quite a lot of care to get through this, and be reunited with the little girl who needs her very much. And Heaven’s story is only one of thousands I have seen in the last three days, since this crisis began. For those who wish to see more of what is happening in Gatlinburg, and reach out to those who need us to help make their corner of America Great again, you can read my personal facebook timeline. I am, and will continue to be, collecting all of the stories and information surrounding this crisis on my timeline until things calm down.

Feel free to share, report, reblog and make use of the information there as you wish. I’m getting nothing from this, and have no desire to–but if some item on my timeline helps someone, that is all that matters.

UPDATE–AND A REQUEST

On Heaven the burned therapy pony-
Hello friends,
I have spoken to Alyssa today, Heavens owner. Heaven is doing well and in an effort to keep costs down will be leaving Douglas Lakeview Boarding Stables and instead will be boarded with the kind gentleman who evacuated her and saved her life. She will still be under the care of Dr Snow.. Heaven is expected to make a full recovery and Alyssa will be sending us updated photos tonight..
She was kind enough to share with us photos of happier times with Heaven and her daughter Izzy.
Alyssa and her family have lost everything, their home, their 3 beloved dogs….evacuating in such a hurry that she even left her purse behind without so much as a debit card to purchase gas.
I asked her what was needed and she did not even know where to begin… She is looking for a small place to rent in the Gatlinburg Sevierville area until they can rebuild. She needs a rental with at least a small yard for Heaven….. so if any of you are aware of a place for rent where a small horse can be kept please let us know ( you an email us at savingfurryfriends@yahoo.com)
I also know all of Heavens supplies brushes, saddles, halters where also lost.
She also informed me that her daughter Izzy loves Disney movies and had quite an extensive collection until the fire claimed those as well. I have asked her to make a list of what is needed most for her and her children. She will be figuring out what is needed most and let us know. She also gave us the address of a friend where packages can be sent in care of. If any of our friends are interested in sending much needed items please emailsavingfurryfriends@yahoo.com and we will share her temporary mailing address with you.
I will update the chip in with this information as well as photos taken of Heaven today. Thank you all for your support.

ALMOST 34 HOURS AGO NOW, I GOT A MESSAGE ON MY FACEBOOK PAGE, FROM A FRIEND REQUESTING PRAYERS FOR HER FAMILY IN GATLINBURG, TENNESSEE. And I didn’t know why–until I saw a bloodcurdling video.

Since then I have not slept. I have eaten some. I have barely used the restroom. Why? Because an American City went up in flames. And the MSM was too busy asking us to wear headscarves, or dissing Trump, or taking aim at Hillary, to pay more than passing attention to this unprecedented tragedy playing out on three local tv news sites in the area.

So I Took To Twitter…

Where there was at least some mention of this horrific series of events, and I began publishing my facebook timeline linked above–that is filling up with requests for volunteers, requests for donations, pleas for help locating lost friends and family, and pleas for prayers.

In the long weary hours since that moment, I have shed a gallon of tears. I have prayed, tried to help people find local services under terrible circumstances, and refreshed those news pages 1000s of times, to make sure that all the news I could find was there. And I have been here ever since, passing on all the news locals and those real journalists in Gatlinburg have made available.

And Yes, Some In Cyberspace Have Heard, and Responded.

I want to give a shout out to THE CONSERVATIVE TREEHOUSE–who picked up my first pleas for help for fire fighters working without sufficient food, water, or first aid supplies. And my twitter followers who have retweeting my timeline over and over through these long hours. And my facebook friends that have also share my timeline, and strangers that have wandered along from wherever, with local information.

Donald Trump Tweeted, THANK YOU PEOTUS!–Obama? Well…. As To The Erstwhile So-Called “Journalists” on National News?

SHAME ON YOU. SHAME ON EVERY ONE OF YOU IN THE MSM WASTING YOUR TIME ON USELESS REHASHING OF CRITICISMS. There are three heroic TV news teams in TN–WATE, WBIR, WVLT–who have been the only reliable source of continuous, accurate coverage of the fires–AND NOW THE TORNADOES–ravaging the Smoky Mountains. There are Two Newspaper– The Tennessean, and The Knoxville Sentinel that are also going far beyond anything MSM even thought of doing.

While America has been trading insults and jokes in 140 characters, these professionals haven’t eaten or slept well either–they have gone deep into harm’s way to help those who need their help–AND TO REPORT THE NEWS. FOR ONCE WE HAVE REAL NEWS HERE, PEOPLE, AND BEING REPORTED–AND NOBODY IS PAYING ATTENTION.

Where Is America This Deep Night?

Where’s the America That has taken to social media after earthquakes, and terror attacks, to seek real news and help those who need it–if only with prayers? Where is the America I have been seeing during Donald Trump’s Campaign? Well, if you’re out there and are just now finding out about this–the link above is everything to date. And please–extend prayers–if nothing else.

If you already knew, and are spending your time bitching about the FAKE NEWS ON MSM, THEN CAN YOU SPARE 5 MINUTES TO GO THANK THE REAL NEWSMEN AND NEWSWOMEN AT THESE THREE STATIONS?

If you’re beginning to get the idea I am angry–good for you. Because I am. Americans are better than this. There is more to MAGA than tweets, and jibes at Mittens. There’s taking the extra 10 seconds to thank the only real jounalists in the country at the moment, and to tell your fellow Americans in Tennessee AND THE OTHER SOUTHERN STATES BURNING TONIGHT That even if the MSM has decided they aren’t important–you think they are.